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| Alejandro Valverde took Liège - Bastogne - Liège (© ASO) |
Five riders in the lead
A bright sunshine welcomed the 200 riders
for the last of the three Ardennes classics in the centre of Liège. Perfect conditions for riders keen to attack early. After
only a few hundred metres of racing several attempts occur. Two men manage to break away, Delfosse (LAN) Kopp (COS) enjoying
a maximum 40’’ before seeing the pack catch up. A few kilometres later, the attack of a trio including Zaugg (GST),
Loubet (ALM) and Brutt (TSV) proves to be just as vain. Eventually between kilometres 24 and 28, the first real breakaway
attempt shapes up in three parts. Five men finally gather together at the front of the race: Markus Fothen (GST), Tom Stubbe
(FDJ), Pierre Rolland (C.A), Pavel Brutt (TCS) and David Kopp (COS). The leading quintet enjoyed a maximum 11’30 lead
at the top of the first climb of the day, the Côte de Ny (km 57.5).
Leaders under control
Under the impulse
of the favourites’ teams, the gap started dropping down from then on. At the top of the Côte de la Roche-en-Ardenne,
the leaders’ advantage had dropped down to 9’. At a fairly slow pace, 37.5 km/h during the first three hours of
racing, the front men reached the halfway mark just after the Côte de Saint Roch with a 7’10 advantage. A pace that
however proved to be too fast for Tom Stubbe who was the first to drop out of the leading group at kilometre 140, rapidly
caught by the chasing pack.
Rolland carries on alone
The next man to suffer was to be David Kopp who started
struggling in the Côte de la Haute-Levée before loosing ground in the climb up the Côte du Rosier. Meanwhile two riders took
off on a counter-attack, Kjell Carsltrom (LIQ) and local hero Philippe Gilbert (FDJ). Going through his hometown, the Belgian
eventually continued his effort on his own but was finally caught in the climb up the Côte de la Redoute where the real battle
began to start. In the lead Pierre Rolland decided to attack, taking off on his own.
A. Schleck and Schumacher in command
A fine but unfortunately pointless
effort from the Frenchman as the pack moved closer and Andy Schleck and Stefan Schumacher managed to breakaway on a counter-attack.
Both men caught and dropped Rolland in the climb up the Côte de Sprimont. As the pack seriously started shrinking, a first
fierce selection was made in the new hill on the course, the Côte de la Roche aux Faucons. While Stefan Schumacher failed
to follow his breakaway companion, Andy Schleck was caught by a group of four men, his brother Franck (CSC), Alejandro Valverde,
Joaquim Rodriguez (both GCE) and Davide Rebellin (GST). The right move at the right time while Cunego (LAM) and Evans (SIL)
failed to react when it really mattered.
Decision time
Rodriguez lost ground on the front group before
a final attempt from Andy Schleck who took off with 10 kilometres to go. The youngest of the Schleck brothers was finalley
caught and dropped in the climb up the Côte de Saint Nicolas (5 kms to go). Victory was therefore to be decided between two
former winners, Valverde and Rebellin and last year’s third man on the podium, Franck Schleck. Neither tried anything
until the final moments. Counting on his sprinting abilities, Valverde attacked with 200m to go and flew off to victory, beating
Rebellin and Schleck to the line. The Spaniard wins the race for the second time after 2006.
Valverde said: "It means a lot for me to win this race. Finishing second last year left a bad taste
in my mouth. This year I knew I could win again. For me and for the team it means a lot to win. It gives us a lot more confidence
for the remaining part of the season and of course for the Tour de France that remains my main goal. The new hill (Côte de
la Roche aux Faucons) changed the race completely. That’s where the race was really decided. Anyhow, it makes the race
a lot more exciting. I have to thank my team mate Joaquim Rodriguez who was once again precious. The whole team did a great
work."
After his third place in Liège-Bastogne-Liège CSC's Fränk Schleck was full of praise for younger brother Andy, who
achieved his best result so far in a Classic with a fourth place after a solid effort at the end of the race.
The older
of the Schleck brothers found it a bit hard to focus on his own performance because of his brother's amazing effort during
the final 35 kilometers. Andy escaped from the peloton just as the going got tough on the infamous Côte de la Redoute and
the two brothers ended up together in the decisive break with two others.
"First of all I just wanna say how proud
I am of my little brother Andy. It was a world-class performance from both Andy and the team out there today. I think we made
that race and Andy was in a class of his own at the end. We tried every single move we could to win this race, but it was
a tough group to escape from so with that in mind we should be satisfied with a podium spot and there's absolutely no doubt
at all that it's to be dedicated to Andy along with the rest of the team," said Fränk Schleck after the race.
Rabobank was a bit dissapoined. "None of us could follow at the decisive moment on that new climb. That
hurts a little for a moment," admitted Rabobank's sports director Erik Breukik.
"I got beaten on value there. I just was not better than I was. Better luck next time," reported Robert Gesink [Who finihed
thirteenth, editor] in a down-to-earth manner.
Dekker did not feel good throughout the entire race. Dekker: "I had stomach complaints and could not eat very much. I got
through a little better in the finale, but it had already been decided at that point." On the La Redoute he was afraid that
the guys in the front would go for it, but that did not happen. "There was no way I would have been able to follow the group
there. I really did not feel strong enough at that moment. It went a little better after the new climb and I started attacking.
That has helped me snatch a sixth place. At first I though it was the fifth. Three times fifth would not have been bad, but
I am satisfied with this too."
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Race reports
Results Liège - Bastogne - Liège 2008
1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
6.44.04 (38.756 km/h)
2 Davide Rebellin (Ita) Gerolsteiner
3 Frank Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
4 Andy Schleck (Lux) Team CSC
0.30
5 Christian Pfannberger (Aut) Barloworld
0.40
6 Thomas Dekker (Ned) Rabobank
7 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence - Lotto
8 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
0.48
9 Paolo Bettini (Ita) Quick Step
1.03
10 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Liquigas
11 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
12 Kim Kirchen (Lux) Team High Road
13 Robert Gesink (Ned) Rabobank
14 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Française des Jeux
15 Leonardo Piepoli (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
16 Matthew Lloyd (Aus) Silence - Lotto
17 Karsten Kroon (Ned) Team CSC
18 Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
19 Bert De Waele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
20 Riccardo Riccò (Ita) Saunier Duval - Scott
21 Juan Mauricio Soler Hernandez (Col) Barloworld
22 Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Gerolsteiner
23 Luca Mazzanti (Ita) Tinkoff Credit Systems
1.13
24 Carlos Sastre Candil (Spa) Team CSC
1.29
25 Nicki Sørensen (Den) Team CSC
1.32
26 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Gerolsteiner
27 Alberto Fernandez De La Puebla Ramos (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
28
Evgeny Petrov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
29 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas
30 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre
1.39
31 Vladimir Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
2.58
32 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
33 Vladimir Miholjevic (Cro) Liquigas
34 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
3.10
35 Mikel Astarloza Chaurreau (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
3.28
36 Yoann Le Boulanger (Fra) Française des Jeux
4.02
37 Matej Mugerli (Slo) Liquigas
38 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
4.04
39 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Cycle Collstrop
4.05
40 Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
41 Christophe Brandt (Bel) Silence - Lotto
4.07
42 Juan José Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
4.09
43 Andrea Tonti (Ita) Quick Step
44 Alexandr Kolobnev (Rus) Team CSC
45 Moises Duenas Nevado (Spa) Barloworld
46 Sven Renders (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
47 Ruben Lobato Elvira (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
48 Leonardo Duque (Col) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
49 David De La Fuente Rasilla (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
50 Chris Anker Sørensen (Den) Team CSC
51 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
52 Andrea Moletta (Ita) Gerolsteiner
53 Dario Cataldo (Ita) Liquigas
54 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Crédit Agricole
55 Amaël Moinard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
56 Adam Hansen (Aus) Team High Road
4.13
57 Bram Tankink (Ned) Rabobank
4.18
58 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Lampre
6.30
59 José Angel Gomez Marchante (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
6.34
60 Stefan Schumacher (Ger) Gerolsteiner
6.42
61 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
7.10
62 Jorge Azanza Soto (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
8.11
63 José Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
64 Mauro Facci (Ita) Quick Step
65 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
66 Oscar Pereiro Sio (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
67 Freddy Bichot (Fra) Agritubel
68 Christophe Rinero (Fra) Agritubel
69 Aitor Galdos Alonso (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
70 Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Cycle Collstrop
71 Floris Goesinnen (Ned) Skil-Shimano
72 Julien Loubet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
73 John-Lee Augustyn (RSA) Barloworld
74 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Crédit Agricole
75 Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Quick Step
76 Pavel Brutt (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
77 Steffen Wesemann (Swi) Cycle Collstrop
78 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Agritubel
79 Mauricio Alberto Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
80 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Silence - Lotto
81 Mario Aerts (Bel) Silence - Lotto
82 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Française des Jeux
83 Maxime Méderel (Fra) Crédit Agricole
84 Christopher Froome (Ken) Barloworld
85 Iñaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
86 Luis Leon Sanchez Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
87 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre
88 David Moncoutié (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
89 Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
90 David Millar (GBr) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
91 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale
92 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Française des Jeux
93 Johann Tschopp (Swi) Bouygues Telecom
94 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
95 Erik Gustav Larsson (Swe) Team CSC
96 Steven Cummings (GBr) Barloworld
97 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Crédit Agricole
8.17
98 Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
11.15
99 Jesús Del Nero (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
100 Peter Velits (Svk) Team Milram
101 Matej Jurco (Svk) Team Milram
102 Kenny Van Der Schueren (Bel) Cycle Collstrop
103 Giampaolo Cheula (Ita) Barloworld
104 Andy Cappelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
12.00
105 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Lampre
106 Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Silence - Lotto
107 Josep Jufre Pou (Spa) Saunier Duval - Scott
108 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
109 Ronny Scholz (Ger) Gerolsteiner
110 Andry Grivko (Ukr) Team Milram
111 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Crédit Agricole
112 Jonathan Patrick Mc Carty (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
113 Daniele Righi (Ita)
Lampre
12.33
114 Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
14.03
115 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
116 Jérémy Roy (Fra) Française des Jeux
14.24
117 Huub Duyn (Ned) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
118 Daniel Martin (Irl) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
17.11
119 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
19.31
120 Perrig Quemeneur (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
121 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
122 Thierry Hupond (Fra) Skil-Shimano
123 Fumiyuki Beppu (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
124 Florent Brard (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
125 Michael Barry (Can) Team High Road
126 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Liquigas
127 Valerio Agnoli (Ita) Liquigas
128 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Team High Road
129 Yann Huguet (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
130 David Kopp (Ger) Cycle Collstrop
131 Maarten Neyens (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
132 Marco Marcato (Ita) Cycle Collstrop
133 Tom Criel (Bel) Cycle Collstrop
DNF Albert Timmer (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Piet Rooijakkers (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Yukihiro Doi (Jpn) Skil-Shimano
DNF Maarten Den Bakker (Ned) Skil-Shimano
DNF Ji Cheng (Chn) Skil-Shimano
DNF Sebastian Schwager (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Dominik Roels (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Artur Gajek (Ger) Team Milram
DNF Igor Astarloa Ascasibar (Spa) Team Milram
DNF Kilian Patour (Fra) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
DNF Christophe Laurent (Fra) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
DNF Jason Donald (USA) Slipstream Chipotle Presented By H30
DNF Michal Golas (Pol) Cycle Collstrop
DNF Nico Sijmens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
DNF Jan Kuyckx (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
DNF Steven Kleynen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
DNF Benjamin Gourgue (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
DNF Sébastien Delfosse (Bel) Landbouwkrediet - Tönissteiner
DNF Alexander Serov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
DNF Vasili Kiryienka (Blr) Tinkoff Credit Systems
DNF Alexander Gottfried (Ger) Tinkoff Credit Systems
DNF Nikita Eskov (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
DNF Mikhail Ignatiev (Rus) Tinkoff Credit Systems
DNF Hugo Sabido (Por) Barloworld
DNF Stéphane Augé (Fra) Cofidis - Le Crédit par Téléphone
DNF Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Silence - Lotto
DNF Dario David Cioni (Ita) Silence - Lotto
DNF Kristof Vandewalle (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Koen Barbé (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen
DNF Christophe Le Mével (Fra) Crédit Agricole
DNF Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Crédit Agricole
DNF Pietro Caucchioli (Ita) Crédit Agricole
DNF Tom Stubbe (Bel) Française des Jeux
DNF Guillaume Levarlet (Fra) Française des Jeux
DNF Mickaël Chérel (Fra) Française des Jeux
DNF René Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF José Luis Arrieta Lujambio (Spa) AG2R La Mondiale
DNF Nicolas Vogondy (Fra) Agritubel
DNF Benoît Salmon (Fra) Agritubel
DNF Kevin Ista (Bel) Agritubel
DNF Steven Caethoven (Bel) Agritubel
DNF Maxime Bouet (Fra) Agritubel
DNF Egoi Martinez De Esteban (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
DNF Francisco Javier Aramendia (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
DNF Iouri Trofimov (Rus) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Laurent Lefèvre (Fra) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Xavier Florencio Cabre (Spa) Bouygues Telecom
DNF Vicente Reynes Mimo (Spa) Team High Road
DNF Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Team High Road
DNF Scott Davis (Aus) Team High Road
DNF Gerald Ciolek (Ger) Team High Road
DNF Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) Lampre
DNF Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre
DNF Paolo Bossoni (Ita) Lampre
DNF Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Theo Eltink (Ned) Rabobank
DNF Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger) Gerolsteiner
DNF Markus Fothen (Ger) Gerolsteiner
DNF Maarten Wynants (Bel) Quick Step
DNF Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Quick Step
DNF Leonardo Scarselli (Ita) Quick Step
DNF Alberto Losada Alguacil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
DNF David Garcia Dapena (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
DNF Vicente Garcia Acosta (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
DNF Leonardo Bertagnolli (Ita) Liquigas
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